In Memoriam: Both Parliament Houses to remain adjourned paying respect to Kalaignar Karunanidhi

August 8, 2018

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Kalaignar Karunanidhi passed away at 94 yesterday.

Guwahati: Both the Upper and Lower houses of the Indian Parliament will remain adjourned for the day as a mark of respect to the deceased DMK patriarch Kalaignar Karunanidhi. The former 5-time Tamil Nadu Chief Minister breathed his last yesterday at 6.10 PM in Chennai’s Kauvery Hospital.

The adjournment holds significance because Kalaignar was not a member of any of the Parliament houses.

Informing the members of Kalaignar ‘s demise, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan described him as a “visionary” and a “leader of the mass”. She also remembered his screenwriting career. The Lok Sabha maintained a moment of silence in memory of the deceased leader after which it was adjourned.

In the Upper House, Chairman M Venkaiyah Naidu read out an obituary describing the struggle Kalaignar had to overcome to establish himself as a leader. He described Karunanidhi as a multifaceted personality and a gritty figure who overcame difficulties.

Recalling on his life, Naidu said that Karunanidhi began his political career as a screenplay writer and used Tamil movies to propagate Dravidian ideology and Tamil culture.

Kalaignar became the third Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in 1969 and went on to become Chief Minister of the state 5 times. Naidu further said that his death is a great loss for the Nation as we have lost an eminent litterateur, an able administrator, a dedicated social worker and an outstanding statesman.

Kalaignar is set to be buried later today at the Anna Memorial along the iconic Marina beach in Chennai. The Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court has passed the permission to bury the eldest and widely loved DMK leader at the Marina beach.